Record-beginning guide for sound-reproducing machines



Nov. 20,1923. 1,474,186

- T. H. LOY

RECORD BEGINNING GUIDEVFOR SOUND REPRODUGING MACHINES Filed Jan. l0. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fil. n

Nv.- 20, 19523. www@ T. H. LOY

RECORD BEGINNING GUIDE FOR SQUND REPRODUCING MACHINES File@ aan. 1o. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lul 11111; h]

Patented Nov. 20, i923.

neun

THOMAS H. LOY, F BELLAIRE, OHIO.

Application filed January 10, 19M. Serial No. 436,145.

To all' 'whom may concern.'

`Be it known that I, THOMAS H. LoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellaire, in the county of Belmont and State of (Ehio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Record-Beginning Ufuideskfor Sound-Reproducing Machines, of which the followino' is a specification.

rllhe present invention has for its object to provide means for facilitating the positioning of the reproducer of a sound reproducing machine with respect to a record on the record support so that the stylus Will coaot at a predetermined point of said record according to adjustment of said means.

More specifically stated, the invention consists of a device constituting a stop or guide enablinfr the operator in playing of sound records to accurately deposit the stylus of the sound boi; at the precise point for cooperation with the sound groove of the record or with the initial sound producing portion of the same.

At the present time sound reproducing machines of well-known types lack any means by which the operator may bring the reproducer into proper playing position without Afirst testing for the place where the musical reproduction is started. The result is that the reproducer is dropped upon the record long before the sound groove is reached under the actuation of the feed mechanism for shifting the reproducer, or in those machines which rely upon the record groove to shift the reproducer, it becomes necessary to continue to try for deposit of the stylus in the .groove itself. Owing, howeverto the minu'teness of the groove and the diiiiculty of discerning it because of the lack of contrast upon the black surface, the necessity for testing even when the groove is found to bring the stylus to the point where the reproduction of the music commences, in-

volves a process which makes very unsatisfactory the vplaying of sound reproducing records.

, 0n the other hand, with my device applied to the instrument, the operator is able to precisely deposit the reproducer or its stylus at the point desired, and this may be accomplished even in the dark or where thev operator does not possess the powers of Y sight.

ifininiportant feat-ure of my invention resides in the construction of the device as an attachment which is capable of being cheaply manufactured and readily applied to those sound reproducing machines not originally equipped with means of this character, the attachment being preferably formed so as to eliminate any necessity for use of special tools to carry out its application.

A further object in view is to provide an attachment of this nature whereby adjustment in a most simple manner adapts it for functioning with different sizes of records.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and claimed. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a sound reproducing machine having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a View in elevation showing more clearly the cooperation of the feed mechanism part With the stop means of this invention, the parts of the sound reproducing machine being shown in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the invention alone.

Figure 4C is a view in elevation looking at the end upon which the stop pin is mounted.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the opposite end, showing more clearly the formation of the means for retaining the indicater.

Figure 6 is a sectional View on a line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Throughout the following detailed description, and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

The subject matter of this invention is designed to be applied to different types of sound reproducing machines, and the type illustrated in the drawings is employed merely to exemplify the manner in which it may be carried out as regards those sound reproducing machines which employ positive feed mechanism for shifting the sound reproducer in playing over the face of the record.

These machines referred to have a feed rack A beneath the supporting plate or base B, which feed raclr is mounted upon the reproducer supporting shaft A provided with the handle A. ln the playing of a record the reproducer is shifted toward the periphery of the record upon the turn-table and then is lowered into position bringing the stylus in cont-act with the record, such lowering action involving a lowering movement of the feed rack A referred to which is engaged thereby with a rotary part that causes the movement of the reproducer in the playing operation. This mechanism is clearly disclosed in my co-pending application filed December 28, 1920, Serial No. 433,709 for the improvements in controlling mechanisms for sound reproducing machines. j j

In the specic embodiment of my invention illustrated, the construction is designed to constitute an attachment readily applicable to sound reproducing machines of theV known type or types referred to and it comprises the two clamping parts l, 2, the former having 'a depending tlange 3 and the latter a corresponding flange Ll which are engageable with the base plate l to hold i the device in position upon said base plate at the point desired. The two clamping members are firmly connected together by the clamping screw 5 which fixes the clamping parts and holds them in rigid clamped position. Upon the part i is pivotally mounted an indicator member (i and superposed with respect to this part is an adjustable stop carrying plate 7 pivot-ally secured at 8 which is also the pivot for the indicator Ypart 6. The adjustable member 7 is slotted at 9'to receive an adjusting screw 10 which passes therethrough and connects with the extension 6 of the indicator part. The parts 6 and 7 are provided with flanges 7n and 6a, respectively, and connected by means of a retaining screw 11, a spring 12 being interposed between the flanges. At. one side the part 7 is apertured to receive a vertically positioned stop pin 13 freely mounted for vertical movement Y and depending through the baseB into a position for coaction. with the feed raclr A hereinbefore described.Y The clamping plate 2 is j so stamped or constructed as to embody a lateral extension 14;. ln the illustration of the present case themetal .is bent upwardly and then downwardly into a horizontal position, the extremity being re-bent as at 14; so as to supportingly engage with the surface of the base B. This extension i-l is slightly curvingand the outer edge of the same is bent downwardly to provide spaced lianges 14 forming a. series of stop notches 1lb. Upon the surface of this extension suitable indicia is positioned with respect to the notches to indicate diferent sizes of records so that the operator-is able to adjust `theindicator part 6 to the proper position at will.

vat the factory so as to require no further attention on the part of the operator, or the operator may readily accomplish its adjustment by loosening the screw 10 slightly and rotating'the adjusting screw 11 in the proper direction tosliift the Vpin inwardly and outwardly, so to speak. lf the size of the record changes, it is only necessary, to modify the position of the pin 13 accordingly, to adjust the indicator 6 so that it will engage in the proper not-ch representing the co-action for the particular size of record involved.

ln the operation of this machine, the adj ustment of the parts having been made, the operator in playing a record, moves thereproducer freely from its outermost position toward playing position until such movement is stopped by contact of the feed rack with the side of the pin 13 lying in its path of arcuate movement. The operator is `at once advised that the reproducer is in the proper position over the beginning of the sound groove and he thereupon-lowers the reproducer in the well-known manner until the stylus engages inthe groove, the lowering movement beingl best carried out by holding the rack against the side of the pin which guides the said lowering movement into a position where the rack escapes the end of the pin. At this point the stylus is in the precise posit-ion desired for commencement of the playing and the vplaying Voperation takes place in the customary manner. Since the rack is freed of the pin the playing operation is permitted and when the reproduction is terminated the'operator, if the machine is not an automatic repeating machine, manually raises the reproducer and in so doing the rack A raises the stoppin 13,4

cisely deposit thereproducer in th'eproper position `for playing purposes.

Obviously the device may not be made as an attachment as it is within the purview of lill) this invention to carry out the object by embodying its elements in the machine When originally manufactured so t-hat the same result of stopping and guiding the beginning of a record may be accomplished.

In those machines of this type which are provided with repeatv mechanisms, the reproducer return is under the control of the latter, so that it is not moved in its return to record beginning position far enough to permit the pin 13 to escape the edge of the raclr so that said pin freely slides upon the upper surface of the raclr during all of the repeat operations and until the reproducer is i moved beyond the initial sound groove, speaking with reference to the direction of movement away from the center of the rec ord.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. In a sound reproducing machine, including a record support, the combination with reproducer mechanism, of stop means for controlling the initial coaction of the reproducer with the record, said means being constructed and arranged to stop movement of the reproducer at record beginning position preliminary to playing, said reproducer mechanism thereafter coasting with the stop means, to maintain the same in inoperative relation.

2. In a sound reproducing machine, including a record support, the combination With a reproducer, of stop means for controlling the initial coaction of the reproducer With the record, said means having a part disposed to stop movement of the reproducer in a direction toward the anis of the recorrv support from positions beyond record beginning position, and means for rendering the stop means inoperative While the reproducer is Within the zone of record playing.

3. In a sound reproducing machine, in` cluding a record support, the combination With reproducer mechanism, of stop means for controlling the initiall coaction of the reproducer With the record, said stop means having a part disposed in the path of movement of the reproducer, means stopping free movement of the reproducer from points beyond the zone of the record sound groove toward initial playing position, said means being held in inoperative position after deposition of the reproducer in playing posh tion on the record groove and during nonplayingmovements of the reproducer until the reproducer is moved beyond the said Zone. v

In a sound reproducing machine, including a record support, a reproducer and means for effecting movement of the reproducer in playing operation, of stop means including an abutment member normally positioned to be impinged by the means for moving the reproducer aforesaid when the reproducer is moved from points beyond the record beginning position and elevated with respect to the record support, said stop means being cleared When the reproducer is in contact With the record, said abutment member being movably mounted to be displaced and held in inoperative position in movements of the reproducer Within the zone of the sound record.

5. In a sound reproducing machine, including a record support, a reproducer and means for effecting movement of the reproducer in playing operation, of stop'means including an abutment member normally positioned to be impinged by the means for moving the reproducer aforesaid when the reproducer is moved from points beyond the record beginning position and elevated with respect to the record support, said stop means being cleared When the reproducer is in contact with the record, said abutment member being movably mounted to be displaced and held in inoperative position in movements of the reproducer Within the zone of the sound record by the means aforo said for moving the reproducer.

6. In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with a record support, a reproducer and feed member for causing playing movement of the reproducer, of stop means for controlling the positioning of the reproducer at record beginning position including a part gravitatively assuming a position to be impinged by the feed member upon movement of the reproducer toward record beginning position from points beyond the same, said feed member coacting with said gravitative part to hold the same in inoperative position during other movements of the reproducer than those aforesaid.

7. In a sound reproducing machine including a record support, a reproducer and feeding mechanism for causing travel of said reproducer during playing operation, of stop means adjustable to co-act With a part of the feed mechanism aforesaid upon free movement of the reproducer toward the axis of said record support, and means for actuating the reproducer to effect deposition of the same upon a record, said stop means being rendered inoperative to impede movement of the reproducer incident to the depositing action aforesaid.

8. In a sound reproducing machine the combination with a record support and a reproducer, of a single stop device detachably connected to said machine in position to co-act with a part of the reproducer, said stop device including an adjustable section for predetermining the point in the movement of the reproducer toward the periphery of the sound record corresponding to the desired point of co-action of the reproducer itsH with the record, and separate adjusting means cooperating with said adjustable section for adjusting the stop device to accord with variations in the diameter of the sound record.

9. In a sound reproducingmachine the combination with a record support and ie producer, ot' a single stop device for limiting movement of the reproduced toward the lrecord support, including means for attaching the device 'iii operative position, means for adjustment in stop position to accord with variations in the point ot com mencement of the sound groove ot' the record and separate means for adjustment of said device to accord with sound records ot varying diameters.

l0. As a new article of manufacture a record beginning stop device Jjor sound reproducing machines constituting an attachment applicable to said machines in position for co-action with a rotary part thereof, and comprisingl a giavitative adjustable member against which said rotary part is adapted to impinge.

1l. As a new article of manufacture a record beginning stop device toi' sound reproducing machines constituting an attachment applicable to said machines in posi-V tion 'for coaction witha. rotary part thcreot disposed to control the feed et a reproducer, and comprising securing n'ieans. a

adjustable member against which said rotary part is adapted to iinpinge, and means for adjusting said member to control thel a separate section mountedupon one oi said clamping sections and movable relative thereto, and a freely gravitating stop Ymember carried by said separate section.

le. As a new article"ot'manutacture, a stop device attachment for sound reprodue ing machines comprising Ciampino sections lor connecting said device to said machine, a separate section mounted upon one of said clamping sections and movable relative thereto, 4a freely gravitating-"stop member carried by saidfse aarate section, and an adjustable section torshitting said separate section and stop member.

15. ris a new article of manufacture, a stop device attachment for sound reproduc ingmachines comprising clamping sections for connecting said device to said machine,

a pivoted section mounted upon and mov-Y able relative to one of the clamping sections, a stop member carried by said pivoted section and depending therefrom, means for adjusting said pivoted section to vary the position of the stop member, and an adjustable section upon which said pir-- oted section and stop member are mounted 'tor bodily movement to shift said parts rela tively to the clamping sections.

in testimony whereof l ailix my signature.

THOMAS H. LOY. 

